Tag Along, Bullet
by TomboyishRandom
Summary: A girl in the group. Nothing like the normal Greaser girls on the southside. But she does have one thing that makes her like the rest. A crush on Sodapop.Bullet AKA Riley follows Ponyboy and Johnny on their journey.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Heeeeey. I have never laughed so hard or felt so great in my life, until I found out about this site. :) ****http://kingofdisgrace. knew, that writing a half arsed story about a book and a movie you read in school would draw in so much attention?**

**I would love to applaud the creators of this site and say thank you for making my day so much sweeter: ) Thanks again guys (or girls?)**

**Anyhoo, I suggest you read the comments the author of the site decided to write, before reading my story so that you can enjoy it so much more.**

**Oh, and please don't take this as sarcasm, I am genuinely ecstatic!**

**TomboyishRandom.**

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'Morning, Darry', I mumbled, walking into the lounge room via the front door.

'Morning, Bullet', Darry yawned, from the kitchen.

'Soda and Ponyboy not up yet?' I questioned, leaning against the doorframe as he handed me a cup of coffee.

'Soda's at Steve's', Darry yawned, wondering about the kitchen, unperturbed at the fact that someone had just walked into his house without allowing them too first.

'Shit', I swore, sarcastically acting unhappy, 'we had a root date'.

'I'm glad you and my little brother are getting on well, but don't tell me, please?' he smiled, knowing full well that I was joking, but was playing along.

'Morning, bullet', the rather tired voice of Ponyboy muttered.

'Morning, Pones', I muttered, leaning on the bench as we walked into the kitchen. I reached over and sliced a piece of the vanilla cake off the bench. Darry took one look at me and growled.

'Both of you nick out of here, I just got it cleaned', Darry screeched, almost like an old maid as I just laughed, and indicated for Ponyboy to follow me as I made my way outside.

'You up for a movie later today?' I yawned, still eating the same piece of cake.

'Yeah, that'd be cool', he mumbled, rubbing his eyes, and then scratching his head. 'Paul Newman movie's out today'.

'Sounds like a plan', I smiled, sitting on the couch on the porch and taking another rather large bite of the cake.

'What are you up to today, D?' I shouted through a mouthful of food hoping Darry could hear me in the kitchen.

'I'll probably just…' he couldn't answer. I had dug up his plan to do nothing and he hated letting anybody know that he was going to sit down. It was strange.

'Okay, sounds cool, sounds busy', I yelled, smiling widely at Ponyboy who just smiled back, not understanding why I had to do this same thing every morning to annoy Darry.

'Where are you going?' Ponyboy complained as I stood up and stretched, before heading down the steps off of the porch.

'I've got bigger fish to fry, my friend, there's this tuff looking mustang down at the 7/11 off of the highway, I'm gonna see if I can take it for a drive', I smiled, winking as I headed out of the yard and down the road towards the empty lot.

'Come round later', Pony shouted out to me as I just waved my hand in the air to let him know I heard him.

I was walking by myself for quite awhile, as I made my way towards the 7/11. I could see the mustang in the distance and the closer I walked, the more determined I was to take it.

'Looky what we have here', I heard someone laugh behind me as I tensed up, but continued walking. I didn't know who it was, and my blade was in my pocket. If they were from around here, it would take them less then a second to realise what I was going to do. If they weren't, I might have a chance.

I slowly reached down for my pocket and placed my hand ever so slowly into it. I heard a soft click behind me and I stopped walking, freezing completely.

'You've still got a lot to learn, Bullet', the voice laughed, walking passed me to reveal none other than Dallas Winston.

'You…' I stated angrily, pointing at him, not able to find the words I was looking for.

'Tuff, sexy man, that I wouldn't mind taking a go at?' he finished, smirking at me as I continued to point at him angrily.

'Tuff no', I murmured, glaring at him as his smile widened, 'sexy definitely not, however…'

'I knew it', he mumbled, taking a step closer to me.

'However…' I repeated, 'if you ever come near me again, I swear to god I will tear your dick off and shove it up your arse'.

'Feisty', he smirked, taking a step closer to me. It was then I realised we were still standing in plain view of the users of the highway. One car drove passed whistling, screaming congratulations at Dally for his "score".

I smiled softly, pretending to be all girly for a second as I ran my hand softly from the belt buckle on his jeans, slowly up his stomach, over his chest, over his shoulder. I heard him chuckle softly as I rested my hand softly on the back of his head. He just smirked down at me, not ready for what I was about to do. I brought my hand back and slapped him hard in the back of the head, before bringing my hand back to my side.

'Oh, stupid', I smirked, continuing my path towards the 7/11. I reached the car park before I noticed that the mustang had disappeared.

'Pony boy!' I shouted as I walking through the front gate. I made my way up the path slowly.

'He's not here', a voice muttered from the door way. I looked up as I made my way up onto the porch only to see a shirtless Sodapop.

'Oh, where'd he go?' I mumbled, feeling rather girly for a moment. I only got like this around Sodapop, anybody else I could handle, but not Soda.

'He's not back from school yet', Soda answered, swinging the door open; 'You're welcome to wait for him if you like?'

'Uh, no thanks, if he gets home soon, tell him I'll meet him in the parking lot', I mumbled stupidly, stepping back down a step.

'Come on in, you idiot, have a beer with me', he smiled, still holding the door open. I stared at him before I realised what I was doing, and nodded.

'Sure, why not', I smiled, making my way into the house, and into the kitchen. 'Darry not home yet?'

'Not yet', Soda yawned from the couch, as I came back out of the kitchen, two beers in hand.

'Fair enough', I mumbled, sitting at the opposite end of the couch.

'You're a bit jumpy today, Bullet, something up?' Soda yawned, looking from me to the TV.

'Just the same things as normal', I laughed stupidly.

'You sure, I've never seen you so tense before', Soda muttered, looking back at me again.

'Hey Soda!' someone shouted from outside, and as Soda got up to check who it was, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

'Hey, Pony, you're dates here', Soda laughed, causing me to feel slightly uncomfortable. I was Soda's age, but had a little more in common with Ponyboy.

'Oh, hey, Bullet', Pony smiled, walking in the house as I dipped my bottle at him a little before taking a swig.

'What are you doing today, Soda?' I heard pony mutter as Soda followed him into their room.

'Probably hang out with Steve', I heard Soda mutter back.

'kay', Pony mumbled, coming out changed.

'Let's take a walk', I smiled at him and he nodded.

'That was awesome', I mumbled to myself as we walked out of the dark light of the movie house.

'I know', he answered in that far off voice. I wonder what he was thinking about? It didn't take me long as Ponyboy stopped in front of the movie house window. I couldn't make out his voice but as soon as I heard the tone of his voice I knew what he was doing. Being Paul Newman.

'Greaser!' someone screamed from behind the two of us as we played in front of the window. I turned around to see the tuff mustang from the 7/11. 'Hey greaser!' they continued to taunt as Ponyboy tugged on my arm and indicated in home's direction. 'Wash all of that grease out of you're hair, you greaser'. We started walking cautiously as they drove passed us slowly before speeding off.

'I hate those ass holes', I snapped, going to tuck my hands into my jacket pocket, when I realised I wasn't wearing a jacket. I was just wearing one of my father's new wife beaters and a chequered long sleeve shirt I had won in a game of cards with the guys.

It was taking awhile to get home. Normally we would have ran and not given a whole hoot, but every now and then one of us would catch a glimpse of the mustang tailing us, and would immediately be on guard, so the walk home seemed a lot longer.

I snuck glances at Ponyboy as we walked along the fence. I hadn't really noticed him before. He was always the youngest of the group, the little one that I was left looking after. That's how I got to know him so well, and that's how I realised that Ponyboy, out of all of them, was the most down to earth and the only one that seemed to think like me.

I looked at his brown hair, long at the front and the sides and slightly shorter and squared off at the back. I had never seen hairs like his on anyone else, or maybe I had, I just never really payed any attention to it. Looking into the corner of his eye I could see his greenish grey eyes wandering off in his little world of Paul Newman and what ever his imagination was cooking up.

I was shaken from my reverie as Ponyboy nudged me. 'What's up?'

'Soc's', he whispered, and I turned ever so subtly and looked at the red mustang tailing us again.

'How long?' I mumbled, placing my hands into the pockets of my jeans, feeling around for my blade.

'Half a block', he whispered back. He was shaking. I had never seen him look so scared before. Then again I had never felt myself be more scared, my blade…wasn't in my pocket.

I've been jumped before, but never without a blade, and ever since we found Johnny in the abandoned lot, I never went anywhere without it. I figured it must have fallen out of my pocket when I sat down for the beer with Soda. I took a side glance at Ponyboy and started to walk a little faster. Only two blocks from home.

The mustang pulled up beside us and five or so soc's got out, smiles all over there faces. They weren't here to ask for directions. Images of Johnny came flooding into my mind. The blood all over his face, his clothes torn, and I immediately started to shiver. Taking a side glance at Ponyboy, I watched him hitch his thumbs in jeans and slouch ever so slightly as we came to a stop. He was sweating and I was shivering. We must have looked a sight.

'Hey Grease', they laughed softly, smiles still in place as they circled us. One got awfully close to me on my left side; I shook slightly and took a slight step towards Pony. As if he was any help, he looked like a dead duck.

'Hey grease, we're going to do you a favour grease', they just loved that word, 'we're going to borrow you're girlfriend here, and you know what grease, we're going to do you another favour, we're going to give you a hair cut grease, we're going to cut all you're greasy hair off'.

'Don't you touch him', I spat, stepping forward, only to be grabbed and dragged off to the side.

'Now, now, don't be like that', the guy that had me whispered, running his hands up and down my body. 'I've got a treat for you', he laughed almost drunkenly, but I knew he wasn't as he started to tear at my shirt.

I heard scuffing to my right and I froze. Ponyboy. 'Pony!' I screamed, only to have the Soc holding me, shove his hand over my mouth.

'Now, now, don't do that, we're having fun here', he snapped, trying to shove his hand further up my top. I felt a stab of pain in my left arm and moved it, only to find that it was pinned behind me. My one free hand was holding him back for now.

I could see Ponyboy on the ground, covered in a bunch of Soc's, one holding a blade to his throat. I wanted to scream, I wanted to do anything I could to get to him, but I watched helplessly as the Soc holding him continued to talk in a low hushed voice. I tried to scream as I watched the Soc slice a small part of Pony's neck.

My free hand slammed against the fence and I screamed into the Soc's hand, before looking around and seeing someone else holding my arms back. They were both laughing, and I completely forgot about Ponyboy as my shirt was torn and…

'Soda!' Ponyboy screamed, 'Darry!'

My eyes snapped open and I looked around in hope that they guys had come, but I was in for a nasty surprise. Ponyboy was screaming as the Soc's holding down started to taunt him with several blades at once.

I tried my hardest to ignore the hands on my chest and the ones down my pants so that I wouldn't scream but, the more rougher they became, the harder it was to ignore. 'PONYBOY!' I screamed, thrashing against everything, 'PONY!'

'Shut her up!' I heard the soc holding Ponyboy shout. Then I heard Pony continue to shout. 'Shut him up, for Pete's sake, shut them both up'.

I didn't know what happened next, but as I dropped to the ground I started to cry. I curled myself up into a ball and cried. I had never cried in my life. I was brought up not too. Not even when I had trouble with my folks, I never cried once.

The pounding of feet rushed passed me and I cried harder. I wasn't sure whether it was out of pure happiness that everything had stopped or whether it was because I could still feel their hands, crawling, grabbing, scratching…

I screamed as someone grabbed me, hoping that they hadn't come back, but I found it to be Two-Bit. I continued screaming, but was slowly losing breath and it slowly died down. I was shook up. I continued sob and punch and hit at him, but I just couldn't stop.

'It's all right', I heard him whisper as he picked me up and stood me on my feet, one arm around my waist, keeping me steady, the other pulling up my pants. I felt like a child, I wanted to scream at him, but I was losing my breath again and I settled for sobbing into his shoulder. I knew they were gone, I knew, but for some reason I just couldn't picture it.

'The kids okay?' Dally muttered through a mouthful of smoke.

'I'm okay', Ponyboy stuttered.

'What were you two doin' walkin' by you're lonesome?' Steve snapped.

'We were walking home from the movies… I didn't think', I could hear the hurt in Ponyboy's voice as I slowly stopped my stupid sobbing.

'You don't ever think', Darry snapped, causing me to stiffen. I looked up and Two-Bit pulled away from me ever so slightly so that I could watch the abuse being flung. I felt him take his shirt off, and hand it to me. I smiled and looked down, noticing that I was no longer actually wearing a shirt. I slipped Two-bits shirt on and wrapped my arms around myself.

'You don't think at home, or anywhere where it counts. You must think at school with all those good grades you bring home, and you've always got you're nose in a book, but do you ever use you're head for common sense? No sirree, Bub! And if you did have to go by yourself, you should have carried a blade', Darry had finished his rant. I looked at Ponyboy who looked as down trodden as the pavement.

'He wasn't alone', I snapped, stepping forward, gripping myself tighter, 'I was with him'.

'And why weren't you carrying a blade, you never leave home without it', Darry snapped at me.

'Everybody makes mistakes, Darry', I grumbled, stepping backwards.

'Leave my kid brother alone, you hear?' Soda growled, 'It ain't his fault he likes to go to the movies, and it ain't his fault that the Soc's like to jump us, and if he had of been carrying a blade, it would have been a good excuse to cut him to ribbons'.

'If I want my kid brother to tell me what to do with my other kid brother, I'll ask you – kid brother!' Darry said angrily, but he didn't go Ponyboy anymore.

'Speaking of movies', Dally huffed, taking one last drag on his cigarette before flicking it away, 'I'm heading over to the Nightly Double, if anyone wants to come and hunt some action?'

'Me and soda are picking up Evie and Sandy for the game', Steve muttered, before glaring ever so slightly at Ponyboy. What was that about?

'I'm working tomorrow night', Darry sighed, as I looked up from Ponyboy to stare at him.

'You're always working, Darry, take a break', I muttered, before looking away. Everybody had dropped their side conversations to look at me. Nobody had ever bothered to tell Darry to slow down, because most people never had the guts, and the fact that he never listened came into account as well.

'Unless you care to help me pay the bills, since you seem to eat all our stuff, I suggest you keep…' He stopped half way through. He seemed shocked. I had stepped forward ever so slightly, looking at him sternly.

'Care to finish?' I mumbled, rubbing my hands up and down my arms, as I looked into his eyes.

'I'm working tomorrow night', Darry sighed, looking up at Dally.

'How bout ya'll?' Dally grumbled, looking around at us all, 'Two-Bit?' Johnnycake, you and Pony wanta come?'

'Me and Johnny will come', Pony stated, before looking up at Darry, 'okay, Darry?'

'Yeah, since it ain't a school night', Darry mumbled. I saw a smile twitch slowly onto his face before disappearing before anybody would notice.

'I'll tag along', I grounded out, suddenly feeling a rather dull pain in my jaw.

'I planned on getting boozed up tomorrow night', Two-Bit laughed, he always seemed to be smiling in some form, 'If I don't, I'll walk over and find you guys'.

'You break up with Sylvia again?' Steve asked out of nowhere, but we all knew who he was talking too. Dally. I looked down at Dally's finger and noticed the ring planted back on his finger. Yep, he had.

'Yep, and this time for good. That little broad was two-timin' me again while I was in jail', Dally spat out, I could tell, cursing under his breath at her.

Everybody seemed to quieten down after that, separating ever so slightly into separate little conversations. I made my way over to Pony and draped my arm around his shoulder. It was a simple gesture that to some people would make it seem like I was coming onto the poor boy, but, to Pony and I, it was a gesture of plain friendship.

'How you feelin', Pony?' I mumbled, touching the outer edge of the bruise appearing on his cheek.

'Probably not as bad as you', he admitted, looking at the ground.

'We both had a rough night, Pony, no need to go feeling guilty for feeling hurt, it happens', I smiled, squeezing his shoulder.

I looked around at the gang as they were all talking happily, laughing, punching playfully and sometimes even looking slightly sad. This lot had come to our rescue, and I couldn't help but think about what would've happened if they hadn't.

Sighing, I looked down at Ponyboy and found him to be already staring at me. 'What's up?'

'Oh', he said, turning a slight shade of pink, 'nothing'.

'What's on you're mind, Pony?'

'You're not like most of the girls around here', he stated, looking a little guilty for saying so.

'True', I said, nodding my head and looking away. I wasn't like most of the girls around here.

The girls that lingered on the west side all wore barely any clothes, too much make up, giggled falsely and swore to much, acting tougher than they actually wore. Some would pick a fight just to prove it, but would find themselves in a mound of trouble when the person they were fighting with didn't back down. They were all false. Fake. Stupidity written all over them.

'Let's head home, Ponyboy', Soda whispered, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from me.

'You need a place to stay, Bullet?' Darry groaned, stretching his hands high about his head.

'If you don't mind', I yawned.

'Come on then', he smiled. I could feel Pony's eyes bore into the side of my head. In his eyes, Darry only ever smiled at me. Soda, he would smile once in a blue moon at, but he would never smile at Pony, and I could feel some anger radiate off of him.

But what Pony didn't see was the sad smiles behind his back. The guilty smiles for never telling him well done. The sappy smiles from when he did something so simple, but Darry was still proud. He didn't see any of those smiles, but Soda and I did, and still do.

I draped my arm back around Pony's shoulders again and him around mine as we walked after Soda and Darry back to the house. 'He doesn't mean it', I mumbled, hoping Pony knew what I meant. He nodded his head. He didn't believe me, but he had nodded all the same. Now was not the time to go into it.


	2. Chapter 2

'Great Expectations?' I yawned over Pony's shoulder.

'English', he yawned back, smiling childishly at me as I laughed and sat on the corner of his bed, flopping backwards.

'Rub harder, Soda', Darry snapped playfully from the lounge room, 'you're gonna put me to sleep'.

I watched Ponyboy listen to his brother's in the lounge room before watching him let his mind wander. I watched the glazed look in his eyes appear ever so slowly, letting me know he was off in his own little world, something that no one should ever shake him from. It was his world, his own world where he could be truly happy.

I felt a leg kick me in the side of the head and I arched my back to see what it was. Soda just looked down at me and smiled softly. I smiled back and flopped back onto the bed before sitting up. I went to shake Ponyboy out of his reverie, but I didn't need too.

'Turn off the light, Pony, get in bed', Soda yawned sleepily. I watched the subtle changes in Pony's eyes as he came out of his reverie.

'Night, Pony', I whispered, giving him a hug as he stood up. I hadn't hugged somebody for so long it felt almost alien to me, but what had happened between me and Pony tonight deserved a hug. 'Night, Sodapop'.

He didn't reply as I walked out of the room and flicked the switch for them. 'You sure you're right on the couch tonight, Riley?' Dally muttered from behind me.

He was the only one who ever called me by my first name, I wasn't sure whether it was because he was the only one who actually knew it, or whether he knew it riled me, but either way, he was the only one. 'Yeah, got some extra blankets around, it's quiet cold out?'

He nodded and ducked down the hallway before appearing with a rather thin look blanket. 'If you get cold, just jump in with Soda and Ponyboy'.

I nodded, smiled and headed over to the couch. I sat down and placed my head in my hands as I breathed clearly for the first time that night. A shiver ran down my spine as the events played through my head.

'You cold, Ponyboy?' I heard Soda whisper.

'A little', Ponyboy replied. I sighed ever so softly. I never had a family bond with anyone when I was Pony's age. My father had run my brother out of the house by the time I was able to speak clearly. Had done the same to my mother, maybe that was the reason why I wasn't like all the other girls around here?

'Listen, Kiddo…' Soda mumbled, 'when Darry hollers at you…he don't mean nothing. He's just got more worries than somebody his age should. Don't take him seriously…you dig, Pony?'

'Don't let him bug you; he's really proud of you cause you're so brainy. It's just coz' you're the baby – I mean, he loves you a lot, Savvy?'

'Sure', Ponyboy answered, but I could hear the razor edge on his voice. 'Soda?'

'Yeah?'

'How come you dropped out?' and as soon as Pony finished his sentence, I immediately went about at setting myself a task. To keep myself busy. I adjusted some cushions against one arm of the chair and spread out the two blankets that were already on the couch before spreading out the one Darry had given me.

I ignored the noises of the conversation going on in the bedroom across the lounge room and continued to focus on getting comfortable, anything not to hear about Soda. Anything.

Smack! I leaped up off the couch, blade in hand, quicker than anyone who had stepped on a nail. I looked around for the source that had hit me with something.

'Morning', someone laughed from beside me, as I released a breath and sat back down. I jumped again slightly but stayed on the couch.

'Soda, you ass hole', I snapped angrily, rubbing my cheek. 'What'd you slap me with?'

Soda just held up his hand and wiggled each individual finger at me. I glared at him, trying to be severely angry with him, but like Ponyboy had said to me once during one of our random talks: "No one ever stays mad at Soda, it's just the way he is. He's always smiling".

'How are you feeling?' he muttered, scratching his head softly. I knew what he meant, but I just shrugged, not sure how to word it. My head ached like no tomorrow, my body still felt like it was being constantly scratched at, tugged at, it was the worst feeling anyone could experience.

'Not to bad', I muttered finally, lying plainly through my teeth. 'How's Ponyboy?'

'Pretty shook up…' he paused, sounding like he was going to start again, but he just sat there, holding his breath. 'What'd…' he did need to say something. 'What did they do, if you don't mind me asking?'

'I…' I started, but he didn't let me finish.

'Not, it's all right, don't tell me, that's cool', and I shut up.

We sat in silence for awhile, neither of us starting up a conversation about anything, we were avoiding another awkward topic. About twenty minutes had passed and we were still sitting silently.

'Pony said that they…' he paused again in that infuriating way, 'he said that they were trying to…'

'That's the basis of it', I muttered, nodding awkwardly, trying to save him the torment of explaining it, or even just putting it into words. 'I'm going to go make breakfast, yeah?'

'Hey, Soda?' I yawned quick;y, looking over at Soda as he sat in a towel, only just having gotten out of the shower. Something I had failed to notice earlier.

'Hmm?' he laughed, smiling at me, as I smiled back.

'Think I can borrow a shirt?' He looked at me funny.

'Yeah, sure, go ahead', I was forced to borrow shirts that weren't to small or too big, which meant, only Sodapop could lend me clothes.

'Thanks', I mumbled, hopping up and stretching, completely forgetting the fact that I had ditched my jeans before jumping into bed last night. Two-bit's shirt was daggy enough to cover my lower half, so it didn't matter.

I made my way over to the kitchen, not bothering with my jeans as I turned on the stove and grabbed the last remaining eggs from the fridge.

I had been in and out of the house twice since my talk with Soda, I had ran to the 7/11 and grabbed some bacon and a loaf of bread before stealing some of those little packets of butter. The second time I ran out, I had headed back to the 7/11 to grab some chocolate milk and some flour to make a chocolate cake.

'What's for breakfast?' I heard Ponyboy yawn from the lounge room as I walked up onto the porch.

'Don't know, Bullet's cooking, this is the second time she's ran out randomly', Soda mumbled, switching on the TV and watching the morning cartoons.

'And she's back, and stay out of the kitchen', I snapped as I noticed Darry walking towards the kitchen door.

'Don't order me around in my own house', Darry growled.

'No breakfast for Darrel', I muttered, walking to the kitchen door, pointing at him again before walking further in.

'What…' I heard Darry mutter to Soda.

'I don't know, she's been running around for ages now', was Soda's reply.

It took me awhile, but I managed to cook the eggs, bacon and the toast, even buttering the toast for them. I placed fair amounts on each plate and sat them on the table, along with a glass of chocolate milk.

'Breakfast!' I shouted, standing against the bench away from the table. I heard several pairs of footsteps make there way into the kitchen before I finally looked up at them.

'This is what you've been doing all morning?' Soda gaped, staring from the breakfast then back at me.

'And I'm making a chocolate cake Bullet style, but that's not ready yet', I smiled as they all sat down at the table and dug quickly into their breakfast.

I had my hands shoved into my pocket and a jacket wrapped around my waist as I followed Ponyboy and Johnny closer and closer to the Bowen Lounge corner, where Dally stood waiting.

'What's going on, Dally?' Johnny piped up as we came to a stop in front of him. Dally had just lit a cigarette so he was happily sucking away on that for a quick second before answering.

'We're early', he breathed as I just rolled my eyes. I had mentioned to Ponyboy that there really was no point in meeting up now if there were still a few hours before dark.

'What do you want to do?' Ponyboy questioned, just for the sake of saying something.

'Nothing legal, man, let's get out of here', Dally mumbled, putting his cigarette out with the bottom of his boot before, draping his arm around my shoulder and leading us in the direction of the one place I had been avoiding till I had to be there.

'Hey soda', I heard Steve shout over; 'here come the hobo's'.

'Thanks Steve', I smiled, jumping on his back and getting him in a headlock after my feet landed on the ground, 'I love you too'.

'Hey I ain't got no cash...' he stated defiantly, as I spun around the gas tank and came to fumble straight into Sodapop.

'Anyone want to buy a windshield wiper?' Dally asked, playing with a broken off windshield wiper that had been sitting on the gas tank from a few days back. I had been sliding the rubber back into for Soda while he served a customer.

'Dal, give me that', Steve snapped, snatching it off of him.

'Give them the money', Soda laughed as I draped my arm around his shoulders giving him a headlock. He tensed up pretty quickly so I pulled my arm away cautiously.

We all headed off again with the money the guys had earned in tips, and made our way slowly through a vacant lot of land.

'What's the movie about?' Johnny asked, mimicking my question from earlier.

'I don't know, Johnny. It's one of those beach movies', was Dally's reply as we made our way across the lot and found a few little kids playing with a bunch of cards. 'Did I say you guys can play on my grass?'

'No', they all replied at separate intervals as if in a chorus or something.

'Then what are you doing here? Give me those cards, will you?' Dally snapped, as they all looked at each other weirdly, or what looked like to others, worriedly before handing over the cards. 'You guys ever play "52 Pick-Up"?'

'Yeah', they answered cautiously, as if they were being tested on it.

'What? Don't get wise. I don't like little kids; I just don't like them', he grumbled before clicking the cards, making them go every which and way. I tried hard not to tell Dally how bloody retarded he looked, and watched on. 'Get out of here or I'll kill you!' he screamed, chasing the kids away, as we all ran after them.

'Get out of here, you little rats', Ponyboy shouted as he came to a slow stop, allowing for me and Johnny to catch up.

'The sky's getting dark. Let's go', Dally noticed before becoming the macho leader again and leading the way to the side fence of the drive in. Dally crawled through the hole, then Ponyboy, who helped Johnny who then helped me through.

As we were walking through, making our way slowly towards the seats close to the canteen, I looked over and noticed a girl fighting with her boyfriend. We jumped the railing, even though we could've just walked a meter to walk around it, and sat the second row from the front. Dally sat at the end, then Ponyboy, Johnny then me.

'Are you sure you want to do this?' questioned another girl I had known at school as the quarrelling girlfriend and her friend sat in front of us.

'I came to see a movie and I'm going to see a movie', she stated angrily before getting herself comfortable in the most uncomfortable of seats. I stared at the back of her head for a little bit, trying to picture where I had seen her before, but couldn't place it. It wasn't until Ponyboy spoke that I actually realized I was staring.

'Man, I'm freezing', he complained, rubbing his hands up and down his arms in hopes of some random amount of warmth to spring from it with life.

'Why didn't you bring a hood, stupid', was Dally's reply as he lent back in his seat, checking out the girl that had so defiantly stated that she was here to see a movie.

'I forgot', Ponyboy snapped softly, still rubbing his arms. I sat back wondering if I slipped off, whether they'd notice, because for some unknown reason, I just couldn't sit here and enjoy the movie. It didn't have the appeal it had a few hours ago.

I watched slowly as Dally leant forward and lit his match via the chair, then proceeded to stand up and light his cigarette in the redhead's ear.

'Some cute redhead, huh?' Dally stated loudly to whoever would listen. He didn't really care, all he cared about was scoring the redheaded chick in front of him. When she didn't answer, Dally kept going.

'Are you a real redhead?' he started, trying to bury his face in the side of her head. From my point of view it looks like he was trying to eat her. 'Are you real?' he tried again, that time I wasn't sure whether he was talking to her or her hair. Before I could focus on what anybody else was saying, Dally rested his feet on the back of the chair next to the redhead before fashionably falling off, causing Ponyboy and Johnny to snicker. I buried my head in Johnny's jacket in fits of laughter causing him to laugh more.

Dally didn't give up though, whether she thought him a loser or not. He got straight back up and was into her hair again. 'How can I find out if this is your real red hair?' he muttered wrapping her hair around his fingers, and when she didn't answer, he continued. 'If this is the same red hair that you have on your…' he paused and Ponyboy looked from Dally to the movie then at me and Johnny. '…On these eyebrows?'

'Cut it out, Dal', Johnny cut in before the redhead snapped, I could sense it, so I bet Johnny did too. We all watched Dally as he pretended he was going to put his cigarette out in her hair when she finally said something.

'Get your feet off my chair and shut your trap', she snapped, not even looking back, but that didn't faze Dally one bit, he just kept pushing it.

'Who's gonna make me?' Dally snapped back, and I felt Johnny tense up before standing.

'I'm gonna get a Coke', he muttered as I stood up and followed. I didn't find Dally funny when he did this. It was beyond a joke sometimes.

'Who, your boyfriend?' I heard dally snap again as we headed towards the refreshment stand and waited in line.

'Are you all right, Johnny?' I muttered leaning on the rail.

'Yeah, I'm all right', he muttered grabbing a cup and filling it up as soon as we got close enough. 'And you?'

'Ah, you know, Dally rubs me up the wrong way sometimes', I mumbled, grabbing a coke myself and paying for both Johnny and I. We slowly made our way back, passing up a rather pissed off Dally on the way.

'Your brother, Sodapop, he works at the gasoline station? A DX I think', I heard the redhead ask Ponyboy. As I got closer, I noticed whom she was. We went to he same high school, she was Sherry Valance, but everybody called her Cherry because of her hair.

'Yeah, that's him', pony boy muttered awkwardly as Johnny and I shuffled across. Sodapop not being in school was a tough subject for Ponyboy, and I knew the question was going to pop up. It always did.

'Soda's the cute one'; Marcia giggled.

'Yeah, he's a doll, I should have known you were brothers', Cherry smiled, causing Ponyboy to shuffle in his seat nervously.

'How come we don't see your brother at school anymore?' Marcia asked quietly, and I swung my attention to Ponyboy, who shuffled a little bit more. 'Has he been working full time since your parents died?'

'He's a dropout', Ponyboy muttered awkwardly, turning his gaze from the eyes of Marcia to the screen of the movie. Dally had come back and handed Ponyboy a coke before shuffling out of the row and taking the vacant seat next to Cherry.

'I can see this ending badly', I mumbled ever so softly to Johnny, who I knew had heard me because he tensed up and kept a half gaze on Dally.

'Here, I thought this might cool you off', Came Dally's voice as he handed Cherry a coke. I tensed up as well as I saw Cherry's left hand grip the chair tightly.

'That will cool you off grease, until you learn how to be talk and act decent, maybe then I'll cool off too', she shouted throwing the coke right into his face. It hit him with a shock as he paused for a minute before acting on his impulse.

'Fiery, huh? Just the way I like them', he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her and trying to get her to kiss him.

'Get off of me', she screamed, trying her hardest to push him off. What Dally was doing now had crossed the line and I went to shoot up and wrestle him off her, but Johnny beat me to the punch.

'Look, leave her alone Dal', Johnny stated definitively, standing up slowly. Dally started to let up as he looked at Johnny in a way I don't think anybody had seen him look at him that way before.

'What did you say?' Dally snarled.

'Come on, you heard me. Leave her alone', Johnny tried again, this time a little less sure of himself.

'What did you say; you little shit? What'd you say to me?' Dally snapped again, glaring at the side of Cherry's head.

'Come on', Johnny cooled.

'Wiseass', Dally growled before getting up and walking off like nothing had happened.

'Now you blew it', I heard Ponyboy whisper to Johnny who just looked at his feet.

'Thank you, he had me scared to death', Cherry cooed as she turned to face her "hero".

'You sure didn't show it. Nobody talks to Dal like that', Johnny grumbled, as the realization that he had just gotten his friend angry with him, hit hard.

'From what I saw, you do', Cherry answered.

'Why don't ya'll come sit up here with us, you can protect us?' came the quiet voice of Marcia.

'What do you think? Come on', Johnny smiled.

'Might as well', was Ponyboy's answer before Johnny looked at me. I shook my head slightly and he just looked at me funny before climbing over the seat.

I sighed quietly before getting up and heading the way towards the exit. The movie wasn't much fun without Dally there, and Ponyboy and Johnny had their minds wrapped up on girls, it just wasn't much fun by yourself. I got a glare as I walked out. Maybe they guess I hadn't paid, I don't know, but I wound my way ever so slowly back home.


End file.
